random dublin stuff

Group show of kevin kavanagh was good, def worth it to see the Mark Swords paintings, the one called quilt made me crack up! Also, I had never heard of Margaret Corcoran before, one of hers was rubbish, the other great. I can't find the list of works so I can't remember which was which, but it was the smaller of the two, with a plaque-like shiny surface.

I would have more for this post, but once again pallas projects and mothers tankstation weren't open. Fair enough MT are showing a film twice a day so they're only open for showings, I should have checked it out, but I won't bother going back to Pallace Projects because I feel like a right dick waiting outside to be let in and then realising nobody's coming, again. its not exactly conveniently located.

Also, I'm gonna blog someday soon about my undying love for Agnes Martin, and my plans for a pilgrimage to her life that i'm paying for one cappuccino at a time working in a coffee shop, but I just wanna mention the Ellsworth Kelly - Agnes Martin - Seán Shanahan trio of paintings that are part of the current display of the permanent collection at Hugh Lane. I fucking amazing treat for me. It was a pretty great day all in all as I did manage to see the paintings in the Ross O'Donnell show I had to miss at Cross Gallery, they were stacked in the downstairs gallery and I had a rummage, I know I prolly shouldn't have but its not like they're old masters and it was totally worth it.

Dublin Artist Run Spaces

Okay so there's Pallas Projects but I'm sure there must be more. I fucking love these places, they're always alternating between an overly-friendly community outreach vibe and unfriendly scenesterism. They show stuff that most ppl probably wouldn't really consider art, and tend to be quite difficult to find, yes artist-run-spaces are what I'm talking about. I visited Pallas projects and it took about five minutes to actually get in the door (after walking so far I was determined) and ended up being let in a side door and having to stumble over a bicycle.

These places are great because they don't really expect anybody is ever going to visit them, and I don't blame them. You have to stoop below a sculpture seemingly made from that accordion-type piping that ppl attatch to their tumble dryers to direct the steam out through the window. The space is dominated by two video pieces, one of two cameras pointed at each other, one of a bored-looking girl dangling from the ceiling while occasionally just-as-disinterested visitors mill around her with an expression split between puzzlement and resignment.

Obviously I love this kindof stuff. It makes me happy that there is still systems and a commitment to ppl being silly and making things nobody is interested in for the sake of art! I know this might come across as sarcasm, but these places really do live up to their purported purpose as an alternative to the glossiness of commercial galleries and the canon-building of the museums. I'd be pleased to be given the skinny on any alternative art happenings around the country, I have days off and don't mind bus trips if I can! Hit me up on standardseriesblog@gmail.com